


It's What You Do

by anonomnom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Boyfriends, M/M, Marriage, Plot What Plot, Robron Week 2017, Some Humor, but also no porn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-28
Updated: 2017-02-28
Packaged: 2018-09-27 12:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10019876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anonomnom/pseuds/anonomnom
Summary: Cain makes an enemy of everyone eventually, so when he’s got a bone to pick with one of Robert’s old business partners, he makes them do a little snooping.Aaron wouldn’t have said no to Cain, not after everything, but he doesn’t really want to be doing this, and he’s not sure yet if Robert being involved is making it better or worse.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Can’t quite believe I’ve managed two days in a row, but robron week is really giving me the kick I needed, and the feedback has been so encouraging.  
> This is a bit rushed though, and the rules did say that even the remotest marriage mention counted, and it doesn’t get much more remote than this!  
> It’s all a bit pointless, but I hope it’s enjoyable all the same.

“Have I told you, you look really hot?”

“Yes.” Aaron grumbles, pretending to sip at his champagne as he looks over the room.

“Good,” Robert continues to whisper, almost in his ear but he knows better than to try. “’Cause you look really great. I know ‘hot’ isn’t really a word either of us use-“

“Robert, shut up.” He takes a real sip this time, grimacing at the sharp, dry taste clinging to his tongue before rolling his eyes at Robert’s response.

“No.” He’s smirking when Aaron looks at him, the soft light bouncing off the mischief in his eyes like it reflects off the crystals in the chandeliers. “You should dress like this more often; that waistcoat is the best thing I’ve ever bought you.”

Aaron scoffs, but whilst it certainly isn’t his favourite thing, he does think he looks okay in it; he’d never admit it, but he’s always surprised by his reflection when he’s forced into it.

“Are you actually going to help, or are you just going to stand there and talk rubbish all night? This _was_ your idea.”

“I am capable of doing  two things at once.” His large hand slowly rubs at Aaron’s lower back and smiles at Aaron’s unimpressed stare. “The old, round bloke in the hideous grey suit,” Aaron looks out to the crowd again and instantly spots the man, rosy cheeked and spitting as he talks energetically with a severe looking man. “He’s an antiques dealer; I’ll get chatting to him, make him tell me what’s genuinely valuable in this place.”

“You met him before?”

“Nope.” Aaron can hear the smugness in his voice, doesn’t want to feed it by giving Robert the attention he clearly expects, but can’t stop himself from looking at him anyway because he’s Robert flaming Sugden. His smirk is stretched over his perfect teeth. “He’s been banging on about his business all evening. It won’t take a lot of prompting.”

Aaron grunts in some kind of concession and tries to stop himself from looking at the man if he’s about to become their mark.

“See,” Robert continues quietly. “I can multitask.” His arm wraps further around Aaron’s waist as his hand comes to rest on his hip.  Aaron ever so slightly leans into the touch. “You should know that better than anyone.”

The deepness of his voice draws Aaron’s eyes to his and then to his lips, but he doesn’t take the bite, as much as they both want him too. Instead, he takes another sip and says, “Why do you care about how much their pretentious shit is worth?”

“Because,” Robert shrugs. “They’ve stolen from Cain, but ultimately all he cares about is how much that little USB could make him, and if I can’t find it to get him off our backs, then I’m getting that money another way.”

Aaron stares it him.

“By stealing.” It’s more of a criticism than a question. Robert shrugs, pretty little smirk, dirty and sly, teasing the corners of his lips.

“By anyway I need to.”

Aaron’s eyes track over his boyfriend, his flirtation and stubborn cockiness sending an electric thrill down Aaron’s spine, as it always has.

He enjoys it more now he knows Robert’s limits.

“Let’s get this over with.” He mumbles instead, gaze lingering on Robert’s lips as he raises his glass and prepares to delve into the crowd and into almost forgotten business.

Aaron’s never thought of himself as squeaky clean (how could he?), and didn’t think he ever would be, but he thought his ‘petty thief’ days were in the past, ended with Robert’s raid on Home Farm all those years ago. But here he is, in another fancy house, idiot accomplice by his side, and an arrogant, proud man at the root of it all.

At least he’s dressed better this time.

They step away from their inconspicuous hiding spot on the outskirts and into the crowd of dresses and bowties, Robert seamlessly catching the attention of a woman in pearls and flirts his way into their circle, Aaron at his side, quiet and with the small, fake smile he’s perfected through years of necessity since becoming part of Robert’s world.

He lets Robert take the lead, always does and always will do in these situations because he can’t and doesn’t want to. He can’t steer the conversation in the direction Robert wants, and it’s hard for him to keep up with all the hidden meanings in their business talk, but he has a quick eye and a good judge, so watches for the twitches, the tells as Robert schmoozes them into right where he wants them.

For a long time, it felt like this was where Robert was most comfortable. Aaron was no stranger to this side of him, with all the fancy hotels and business deals and talk of Home Farm when he was little more than a bit on the side, but actually standing with him at these things was a bit of a shock at first, to see how in his element he was, how at ease, how alive.

Aaron doesn’t know how long it took The Farmer’s Son, Robert to feel right in these settings, but it took him a while to feel entirely comfortable in his relationship with Aaron. Not being with him, not once they gave it a real shot, but all the little things building a home with someone meant; honesty, reliance, sharing feelings and frustrations, and standing on the same level.

Robert hadn’t had that before.

Aaron is eternally grateful for Paddy, even if they have their ups and downs.

Aaron knows better now, knows that this is a much loved and needed front of Robert’s, but he’s happiest at home, with Aaron, is finally himself, and frankly Aaron will go to as many of these eye gauging events as he needs to, if it means Robert feels as _right_ as Aaron does.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you at one of these, Sugden.” A familiar looking man says, stretching out his large hand a taking Robert’s firmly.

“Well, I sold that company on, helped create a new one,” Not lies, but never the actual truth; Robert always keeps his cards close to his chest. “Haven’t had much opportunity or reason to come to be honest.”

“Well it’s good to see you again,” he says with a grin before offering the same smile and hand to Aaron. “You too, Aaron.”

“Likewise.”

“So what’s got you here this time?” The woman says, and Aaron’s fairly certain he’s never met her before, but then everyone looks the same at these things. She knows Robert though, and he’s not surprised when she continues to speak with a flirtatious smirk. “Anything I should know about?”

“It’s more social than business,” Robert replies easily, matching her smile for smile. “Well, I heard of a new business investment and thought I could pick a couple of brains whilst I’m here, but really it’s been good to catch up with people, and honestly, turning down another invitation just seemed too rude.”

There’s murmurs around the group, maybe agreement maybe laughter, Aaron’s not listening. He’s watching the way the woman and her short partner are looking up at Robert with bright and eager eyes, their shoulders set and their lips turned in a constant smile.

Robert focuses on them without prompt.

“So,” he starts, looking straight into her eyes and taming his usual smirk into something more approachable. “What have I missed?”

***

Aaron’s not convinced about the plan, but he’s not going to argue when it gets him out of the grand room full of egos sprouting the most boring and false rubbish he’s had the displeasure of hearing a few times in recent years.

Blessedly, the harshly lit kitchen is empty – because this isn’t a real party, otherwise it would be fullest room in the house – though it was clearly only recently abandoned, half-full glasses and half-made canapés abandoned by the sink.

“Looks like we just missed them,” Robert observes, talking of the host couple and eyeing up Catherine’s half-made contribution; catering is always brought in for these things, but Catherine had always made one tray of canapés, reminiscent of her days as a simple, 70s housewife to her first husband. She said she didn’t feel right not making something for her guests, like doing that kept her humble.

Aaron kept his mouth shut about how it was anything but.

 “Right,” Robert says. “You take those cupboards, and I’ll check over here.”

“Really?” He raises a bored eyebrow, because now he’s in here, he’s even more doubtful.

“Trust me,” Robert smiles cockily. “Besides, we’ve got to start somewhere; might as well be the empty room.”

Aaron sighs and puts his glass on the counter before he selects a cupboard at random and starts shifting through stuff as undisruptive as possible. None of it looks promising, but then he’s not entirely sure what he’s looking out for.

A soft snort catches Aaron’s attention, and when he turns around, Robert’s holding out a wedding ring to him.

Aaron stares, the gold shining in the florescent light, his eyes then travelling up Robert’s long arm, over his smiling lips, and finally meet his eyes.

“No.” He says firmly.

Robert’s smile drops and he rolls his eyes, jerking the ring in Aaron’s direction with a renewed smirk.“Funny. Look at the inscription.”

Aaron picks the ring from Robert’s fingers and chuckles. _Forever, Snookins_.

“God.”

“I know.” Robert smiles before he goes rooting again, chucking a petulant look over his shoulder once he stops. “And what do you mean _‘no’_?”

“I mean precisely what it sounds like.” He mumbles, not bothering with any further explanation because  for one, he doesn’t need to, and for another, Robert’s half-heartedly teasing. Instead he keeps looking at the ring, not quite able to believe someone would actually write that.

“Could sell it though. It must be 22-karat at least, and I reckon we’d be doing her a favour by getting rid.”

“We’re not selling someone’s wedding ring.” He grumbles as he turns the band over in his hand. Robert quietly protests that it was a joke (Aaron’s not so sure) but he’s at least right about one thing,  the ring is heavy, weighted in an unfamiliar way to Aaron, though he admittedly hasn’t handled much jewellery in his time. The band is thick too, much wider than he expects for a woman’s ring, and even though Aaron knows they’ve been married twenty plus years, it shines in the light like it was still in the jewellers.

“They have a lot of stuff in here that doesn’t usually belong in the kitchen; we may have found Cain’s stuff already.”

“Or you just found the junk cupboard.” Aaron muttered distractedly, slipping the thick ring on his finger and squeezing it past his large and rough knuckle.

“No. There’s definitely something going on here.”

“Who would stash that kind of thing in the kitchen?” He asks dismissively, watching Robert crouch and root further in the cupboard.

“People who rightfully think something Cain Dingle touched doesn’t belong amongst their personal, expensive stuff.”

It doesn’t look as strange as he expected it to, but the ring is heavy, a weird weight and pressure on his hand that he can’t imagine ever getting used to. “That doesn’t mean they’re going to leave it here.” He starts to slide the ring back off, but it barely moves before getting stuck. “Especially loose and left in a pile of crap.” He pushes the ring back down and yanks it hard and fast, but all it does is smart as it comes to an abrupt stop.

“I told you, it’s not a junk draw. There are documents and files, and boxes of-“

“Robert,” he sighs, glancing at his boyfriend to make sure he’s not looking Aaron’s way as he continues to twist and pull at the ring. “What’s in our junk draw at home?”

There’s a telling silence.

“They’re not those kind of papers.”

“Of course not.” He whispers sarcastically, getting frustrated with the ring, pulling it so hard for so long that his arms starts shaking and his finger turns a worrying shade of red.

Shit.

“Well, let’s think about this logically,” Robert continues, completely unaware. Shit. “They wouldn’t keep something like that in their bedroom,” Shit. “And they’re not going to put it somewhere obvious, because if they know about it, other people are bound to,” Shit. “And in these circles word spreads quick, so-“

Shit.

“Robert.”

“If they-“

“ **Robert.** ”

“What?” He finally turns around with a perplexed frown at the gravelled urgency in Aaron’s voice.

“It’s stuck.”

“What’s stuck?”

“The ring.”

“What rin-“ His brows furrow further before easing suddenly with realisation, his eyes spotting Aaron’s straining hands, and then Aaron wants to punch him.

“Oh my God!”

“I’m warning you Robert,” but it’s already too late, his boyfriend laughing and practically skipping over to him, eyes trained on where Aaron’s still simultaneously trying to get the ring off and hide it from him - like that would do any good at this point - until he meets Aaron’s eyes and he looks….

He has that sparkle in his eyes that Aaron both loves and hates because it means he’s about to walk the fine line of teasing Aaron and push all his buttons, one way or another.

“You put the ring on.”

“Yeah, no shit.”

“I can’t believe…” he’s smiling so hard he can barely form words, and Aaron hates how handsome it makes him look. “Why on earth did you try it on?”

“I don’t know why!” Aaron hisses desperately because he _doesn’t_ know why, but he’s regretting it now. “It’s not coming off Robert, “ he looks back down at the glimmering gold, mocking in its shine now as he pulls again. “I’ve tried everything.”

Peals of laughter fill their space again, and if Robert doesn’t stop laughing and-

“You need to start helping or I’m going to kick you in the-“

“Alright, alright.” But there’s still a melody of laughter in his words. “Have you tried putting soap on it so it slides more?” They both step to the sink before Robert’s even finished, and usually he hates it when Robert asks a question he already knows the answer to, but the Smiths are bound to come back any minute, and the panic is starting to set in.

Aaron practically pours half a bottle of Fairy Liquid over his hand, but whilst the ring promisingly slips a little further, it’s barely up to his knuckle before it refuses to budge again.

Aaron literally growls, so Robert tries his luck, taking Aaron’s hand in his and tries to coax the ring off with little twists and gentle tugs, but when it still won’t move, he stops being gentle and pulls roughly, pressure cramping around Aaron’s hand, but that doesn’t matter because the ring. Won’t. Come. Off.

“Shit.”

Robert bursts into laughter again, making embarrassing noises as he tries to contain it, his hands around Aaron’s jerking with the movement in his shoulders.

“Stop laughing you bastar-“

They both freeze as they hear the chatter of Mr and Mrs Smith approach. Robert springs back into action, abandoning a floundering Aaron at the sink to shut the cupboards he’d been distracted from. Aaron frowns at him, spinning in place once before thinking to grab the towel and quickly dry his hands before darting to stand by the fridge, picking up his full glass from where the left it on the counter with his right hand, shoving the left in his pocket.

Robert is by his side a beat before a group of people enter the room, and he’s still got this infuriating, knowing smile of his face.

Aaron continues to frown at him.

“Oh,” Derek says as he walks in, spotting the two of the immediately. “Didn’t expect to see anyone in here. Thought it’s certainly good to see you again, Robert.”

“You too,” he smiles widely,  so easily slipping into the moment, into what they expect. “Just came in for a bit of a breather.

“Ah yes, not your scene if I recall, Aaron.”

“How could you tell.” He smiles too, though he feels like an absolute plank with the way he’s standing, like having his hand in his pocket is the least natural thing to do.

“Got a secret, second party going on?” Robert asks with a friendly smirk and a nod to the handful of people coming in with the couple, and though he’s playing a part, Aaron can tell he’s also fishing.

“No, no,” he laughs. “Just a minor mishap in one of the closed of rooms.”

“Crisis averted?” Robert asks them both.

“Just about.” He replies with a wry smile, as his wife drifts behind him and towards the sink.

Aaron can’t take his eyes off her.

Robert’s hand on his waist alerts him to his silence, and Aaron realises that his sucking up has been cut short this time. He’s smirking again, biting his lip as he inches Aaron closer to him, the back of his hand brushing against his tense forearm as his thumb fiddles with the unmoveable ring.

“It’s not funny!” Aaron hisses, deadly serious and acutely aware of everyone in the room, including Mrs. Smith standing at the sink once more.

“It’s histeri-“

“Oh!” Everyone looks to her as Catherine brushes her fingers along the counter space. “My wedding ring’s gone.”

Aaron goes rigid.

“What do you mean it’s gone?” Derek asks, his old and sagging brow more lines than flesh.

“It’s not here. I took it off  to wash up, and my engagement ring is still here but my wedding ring isn’t.”

Robert’s hand squeezes him tight.

“Do you think someone took it?” A woman from the group asks.

“Course not. Why on Earth would someone take a wedding ring, and not the five grand diamond?”

Aaron chokes a little.

“Then where is it Derek? Because it’s not here.”

“I’m sure it’s around somewhere,” Robert butts in to diffuse what looks like the beginning of an argument. “It must have fallen.”

“You didn’t see what happened to it, did you?” She turns to them, but is mostly talking to Robert, as usual.

“‘Fraid not. We’ve just come in ourselves.”

Aaron feels a little wave of guilt hit him with the way Catherine’s face falls and the forlorn sigh that follows. “Then where could it be?”

“Maybe Samantha has it?” One of their friends offer. “You know what little girls can be like with their mother’s jewellery.” Robert squeezes his waist, no doubt struggling not to laugh, and Aaron swears he’ll hit him if they get out of this.

“Why would she take it away though? She knows better than that.”

Aaron can feel Robert stand straighter as he pipes up.

“Maybe she got it stuck and panicked.” Aaron is really going to hit him.

“That’s possible.” Derek mutters looking to his wife before they sigh in unison. “Best go find her, eh?” They make to move away, but Robert speaks again before they do.

“Won’t you need to take something, if it’s stuck? Soap maybe?”

“No, no.” One of the other guests butt in. “You need ice. It reduces the swelling of the finger.”

“Ice,” Robert says distantly, sending a smirk at Aaron before he steps away. “I’ll get you some.”  He grabs one of the plastic bowls near them and holds it to the fridge to fill it up, shouting an ‘oh, sorry!’ when a few cubes _accidently_ fall to the floor.

“I’ve got it.” Aaron steps in, turning his back to the crowd as he bends to pick the stray cubes with his left hand very carefully.

“Here you are.” Robert distracts them, offering the bowl as Aaron walks to the bin, presses the lid open, but drops the cubes into his glass instead.

“Thank you dear. That’s very kind of you.” She says, taking the bowl and paying no mind to Aaron standing back beside the counter, hiding his glass behind his back as she turns to her husband. “Right, let’s go find our troublemaker.”

They leave then, but it’s not a group mission, so he Robert still have to deal with the handful of other guests that linger and chatter. Robert comes back to stand beside him, arm wrapping round his shoulders and nestling into his side as extra coverage whilst Aaron awkwardly puts his finger in his glass.

They don’t have long before the Smiths realise their girl isn’t to blame, or before Aaron’s hand starts to cramp from the strained position, but it’s the best they’ve got and they can only hope that it works.

Aaron’s too busy with that, too full of panicked adrenaline to keep up with the other people in the room, but Robert’s got it covered, as usual. Excels at small talk and distractions. Five minutes later, the group is heading towards the main room after Robert waxed lyrical about some canapé being handed out, and Aaron takes the moment to turn around and place his glass down, hands going to tug at the ring as inconspicuously as he can.

It moves promisingly at first, before it hits his knuckle and resists. Robert’s speaking loudly and with his hands, taking only one or two steps towards the exit with the others, effectively keeping attention solely on him, as Aaron tugs and tugs and-

Finally.

_Thank God._

He’s surprised he doesn’t fling the thing across the room with the amount of force he was pulling or from sheer relief, but he keeps it tight in his hand as he turns back around.

“I’m just going to get another drink, I’ll join you in a bit.” He says, and the others take that at face value, already half-way out the door and not pausing to see if Robert will stay with Aaron or not.

He does of course.

“Thank fuck for that.” Aaron hisses, dashing over to the sink and quickly running water over the ring to try and rid it of the left over soap and distinctly alcoholic smell. “I thought it was never going to come off.”

Robert’s right behind him, pouring Aaron’s soiled drink down the drain and picking the smaller ice cubes out to put in the bin.

“What would you do without my quick thinking, eh?”

“I wouldn’t even be in this mess if it wasn’t for you,” he snaps, drying off the ring and adding before Robert can speak, “And I mean the whole party situation, before you say anything.”

Robert doesn’t, but he isn’t exactly helpful when Aaron starts looking for a place to put the ring.

“Just put it on the floor and kick it somewhere hidden.”

“You can’t just kick someone’s weeding ring, Robert.”

“No?” He intones, eyebrows raised high in what Aaron knows will be mocking. “But you can just randomly put it on for shits and giggles?”

“I didn’t,” Aaron cuts himself off with a heavy sigh. “Just help me find somewhere, ‘cause they’ll be back down any minute.”

Robert plucks the gold band from his fingers and tosses it into the sink without a care.

“Done. Let’s go.”

“But-”

“They’re not that smart Aaron, and they’re not going to care. We just need to not be in here when they get back.”

He takes Aaron’s hand and pulls him away and out of the room, seamlessly picking up two glasses of champagne from a passing tray and handing one to him with a smirk.

“Shall we get back to business?”

***

Robert was right about the Smiths not caring, because they were happy as pie once they rejoined the party.

He was not, however, right about stashing valuable goods in kitchen cupboards.

Aaron was right about that.

“I told you so.” He says, sauntering down the hallway, little packet tucked into the inside pocket of his waistcoat, a smug grin lighting up his face. It was hidden in the fake bottom of a desk draw in Derek’s office, the first place Aaron would have checked, and one of the last Robert conceded to when time was ticking on.

“Well _I_ told _you_ ,” he answers as he jogs a couple of steps to catch up with Aaron from saying a lingering goodbye to the hosts. “You didn’t think we’d even find it, but I told you it’d be here.”

“Actions speak louder than words, Robert.”

“Yeah, like someone saying no, but putting the ring on anyway.”

Aaron’s hardly one to blush, but there’s a sudden heat high on his cheeks as his head snaps to scowl at Robert, arm thrown out to slap his stomach.

“That’s not what that was!” He argues, but Robert’s already laughing at him, and his eyes are bright, his hair softly dishevelled from sneaking and rooting around, smile wide and causing freckles to disappear in the creases around his mouth and eyes…

“I guess we’ll see, eh?” He teases, that mischief highlighted in his eyes again, though there’s something altogether softer about it. “When I _actually_ ask you.”

“Shut up,” Aaron laughs, pushing Robert’s shoulder as they near the door, “And get out.” And maybe he’s had too much champagne tonight, because there’s a distinctly _bubbly_ feeling fizzing through him right now.

They stumble through the doors in laughter, and as Robert says something about never letting Aaron live it down, Aaron makes a mental note to put Cain’s packet safe in the glove compartment as soon as he gets it the car.

Something tells him the waistcoat won’t make it back to Emmerdale.


End file.
